The Indian Rights Meeting.

About 150 people assembled in Sanders Theatre last evening to attend the meeting of the Indian Rights Association. The Rev. Mr. Lougfellow called the meeting to order and read the statement of the association. Its aim is to investigate the home life of the Indians on the reservation. The most important things accomplished so far have been the passing of the Dawes bill and the defeat of the Sioux reservation bill. The association publishes an annual statement which will be sent to any one on receipt of postage.

Mr. Longfellow then introduced Prof. Thayer, of the law school, who spoke on the Dawes bill. This bill gives the Indian the right to hold land and also the right of citizenship. The president is authorized to have the reservation surveyed and a part allotted to each member of the tribe. The Indian may be compelled to accept the land and cannot part with it for twenty-five years. The remaining land is bought by the government and sold to out-siders and money is placed in the U. S. treasury to pay for the education of the tribe. The other important section of the bill is the conferring of the right of citizenship upon the Indian. The bill declares that every man who has left his tribe for civilized life is made a citizen of the United States, and that the Indians who receive land are subject to the laws of the country. The great trouble with the bill is that it gives the Indians no courts or power to enforce their laws. In this respect as in many others the bill is a failure. Mr. Harrison then spoke on the general home life of the Indian and the need of means for the association to carry on their work. The society now possesses more information than even the Government officials. At the end of the lecture Mr. Harrison answered questions concerning the social life of the Indians.